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ESPN hates us.
- Thread starter ReadCT
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orlandoeddie
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byobbio
I hate instant replay.
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I really don't care if ESPN hates us or not. I think Talkin' Football hates us but that's another subject that I would rather not get into. That was a joke I was going to make one day but forgot.
Anyhow, ESPN has robbed College Football of a lot, IMO. I think when they play up certain teams or certain matchups, rightfully so, it degrades the teams that people normally cheer for. That's business. That's the way it is. They need to sell ads and selling ads to people who watch games is more profitable than not selling ads. We are a capitalist society and that's the way that capitalism works.
My problem is not ESPN. My problem is whomever (NCAA?) gets to change the rules, the agenda, the direction, etc., for College Football. Mark my words, every time we make a change in the way College Football is played, we lose a few fans. Plus, here at home and a lot of other stadiums, they are doing things that are diminishing the experience when they are trying to enhance it. Here are some changes that have greatly diminished the fanbases at games:
1. Referree on the field for timeouts. This used to be controlled by the game referrees. They would allow for 3 minute timeout or something like that. Now, the ESPN ref or whomever, comes out and is on the field for maybe 5 minutes is it? Couple that with the increased number of media timeouts. It used to be something like 6 and those happened at change of possession and they ran out like early in the second qtr. Now, pretty much every change of possession, (8-10) have a timeout. Hell if I know if these are accurate, but you get the point. It gets to be too much for fan in the stands to maintain momentum of excitement.
2. Video Replay refereeing. OK, let's get all the calls right. Normally, that would be a good idea. But, football is a judgement call game as most contact sports are. Contact sports are also momentum sports. The fans, the referrees, the players, hell the cheerleaders are momentum driven. Now, there's a stop in the action for someone off the field 50 yards away, in an air conditioned booth making a judgement call based on video evidence. It slows the game. It kills the momentum. Last time I checked, Americans have ADHD. Take a way momentum and you lose them. How much time they spend in the game NOT watching football affects their desire to return. It's a fact.
3. O'Charlies, Logans, skyboxes, luxury suites, terrace levels, HD TV's, etc., make the game more about getting asses fatter than about promoting football. I'm sure this is no fault to ESPN, but the fan that affords these higher level of luxury and demands it so his wife or kids or clients want to come to the game to stuff their face with barbecue during the first quarter then return 45 minutes later for a hot dog snack followed by ice cream, is more concerned about his/her next bite and not so much about whether or not the defense is blitzing enough is a problem. Me personally, i love all that stuff and when I sit in the skybox and I am in line for that halftime hot dog and the game is about to start back, i am ok with missing a play or two. Back in the day, sitting in the stands with two scalped at the last minute tickets and it is raining, you would have to pry me from my seat to get me to miss one play at the end of a 54-0 shutout. I think most of the common fans who are there are now coming as some sort of social event. And I think they are not coming to the ****ty games like AP and Memphis State. That's bad enough, now they are not coming to the lower SEC battles. This, in my opinion, is a travesty. And it is killing college football.
4. The ever-so-popular College Football Playoff. This is 100% ESPN driven. Nobody ever talked about it until they made it an issue. There's no need for a playoff. I don't even think there's a need for a plus one. Mark my words, in 3 years, it will be 8 teams. The rest of the teams in the country can go f themselves because they are not playing for anything. And that's a whole lot of teams that have no chance because of who they are and where they are. This will be the biggest downfall of College Football as we know it. (See NASCAR the past 10 years). Once we take away the season which is IMO 100% of College Football, then we take away the only advantage we have over NFL. It puts NFL on common ground with College. And the NFL wins that one every time.
My point in all of this is we've had god knows how many years of growth in college football. Recently, something has changed and people are coming to the games less and less. I think all of the ADs, presidents, etc., need to look at NASCAR as an example. Any idiot that thinks it's HDTV or "the economy" needs to get real. It has to do with neither. When i was a recent graduate, I didn't have a whole lot of cash. But, I figured out a way to get in the game come hell or highwater. It was actually kind of fun. It wasn't about documenting the game (like watching it on tv). To me, I feel like I can influence the game. I think if i am there, I can make a difference. I mean, in a way it's just a mindset, but in a way, i feel guilty if I am not at the game. Something aint right.
Point is, it's not ESPN's fault about anything. They are just playing by the rules for the most part and doing business.
Anyhow, ESPN has robbed College Football of a lot, IMO. I think when they play up certain teams or certain matchups, rightfully so, it degrades the teams that people normally cheer for. That's business. That's the way it is. They need to sell ads and selling ads to people who watch games is more profitable than not selling ads. We are a capitalist society and that's the way that capitalism works.
My problem is not ESPN. My problem is whomever (NCAA?) gets to change the rules, the agenda, the direction, etc., for College Football. Mark my words, every time we make a change in the way College Football is played, we lose a few fans. Plus, here at home and a lot of other stadiums, they are doing things that are diminishing the experience when they are trying to enhance it. Here are some changes that have greatly diminished the fanbases at games:
1. Referree on the field for timeouts. This used to be controlled by the game referrees. They would allow for 3 minute timeout or something like that. Now, the ESPN ref or whomever, comes out and is on the field for maybe 5 minutes is it? Couple that with the increased number of media timeouts. It used to be something like 6 and those happened at change of possession and they ran out like early in the second qtr. Now, pretty much every change of possession, (8-10) have a timeout. Hell if I know if these are accurate, but you get the point. It gets to be too much for fan in the stands to maintain momentum of excitement.
2. Video Replay refereeing. OK, let's get all the calls right. Normally, that would be a good idea. But, football is a judgement call game as most contact sports are. Contact sports are also momentum sports. The fans, the referrees, the players, hell the cheerleaders are momentum driven. Now, there's a stop in the action for someone off the field 50 yards away, in an air conditioned booth making a judgement call based on video evidence. It slows the game. It kills the momentum. Last time I checked, Americans have ADHD. Take a way momentum and you lose them. How much time they spend in the game NOT watching football affects their desire to return. It's a fact.
3. O'Charlies, Logans, skyboxes, luxury suites, terrace levels, HD TV's, etc., make the game more about getting asses fatter than about promoting football. I'm sure this is no fault to ESPN, but the fan that affords these higher level of luxury and demands it so his wife or kids or clients want to come to the game to stuff their face with barbecue during the first quarter then return 45 minutes later for a hot dog snack followed by ice cream, is more concerned about his/her next bite and not so much about whether or not the defense is blitzing enough is a problem. Me personally, i love all that stuff and when I sit in the skybox and I am in line for that halftime hot dog and the game is about to start back, i am ok with missing a play or two. Back in the day, sitting in the stands with two scalped at the last minute tickets and it is raining, you would have to pry me from my seat to get me to miss one play at the end of a 54-0 shutout. I think most of the common fans who are there are now coming as some sort of social event. And I think they are not coming to the ****ty games like AP and Memphis State. That's bad enough, now they are not coming to the lower SEC battles. This, in my opinion, is a travesty. And it is killing college football.
4. The ever-so-popular College Football Playoff. This is 100% ESPN driven. Nobody ever talked about it until they made it an issue. There's no need for a playoff. I don't even think there's a need for a plus one. Mark my words, in 3 years, it will be 8 teams. The rest of the teams in the country can go f themselves because they are not playing for anything. And that's a whole lot of teams that have no chance because of who they are and where they are. This will be the biggest downfall of College Football as we know it. (See NASCAR the past 10 years). Once we take away the season which is IMO 100% of College Football, then we take away the only advantage we have over NFL. It puts NFL on common ground with College. And the NFL wins that one every time.
My point in all of this is we've had god knows how many years of growth in college football. Recently, something has changed and people are coming to the games less and less. I think all of the ADs, presidents, etc., need to look at NASCAR as an example. Any idiot that thinks it's HDTV or "the economy" needs to get real. It has to do with neither. When i was a recent graduate, I didn't have a whole lot of cash. But, I figured out a way to get in the game come hell or highwater. It was actually kind of fun. It wasn't about documenting the game (like watching it on tv). To me, I feel like I can influence the game. I think if i am there, I can make a difference. I mean, in a way it's just a mindset, but in a way, i feel guilty if I am not at the game. Something aint right.
Point is, it's not ESPN's fault about anything. They are just playing by the rules for the most part and doing business.
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